Everyone answers to someone. If you’re like me, you’ve probably felt the frustration of disagreeing with a boss or wishing they would do something else. If so, you should know that there are ways that you can lead the people who are in charge of you. Here are some tips:
1. Remember that they are in charge. As good as your idea may be, if they say no, that’s the end of it. God in his unfathomable wisdom give them the position of your supervisor and they will one day have to answer to Him for how they used their platform…but they DON’T have to answer to you. Your chance to be the boss may come one day, but for now you should learn to be humble and submissive to their leadership.
2. Don’t throw them under the bus. In the name of self-preservation, I have been guilty of this before. They have an idea that goes bust or seems to be obvious to everyone else that it was a bad decision. You then, in an effort to save your own reputation, will let EVERYONE know that you had nothing to do with it or you were just “following orders”.
Think about if you were in your supervisor’s position. Wouldn’t you rather have people working for you that have your back when you make a bad call? Treat your boss in the same way. When someone complains about the outcome of a decison, rather than throw your boss under the bus, just say something like, “Well we can’t change it, we can only figure out where to go from here”.
3. Let them give input. Ask your boss for his opinion even on things that are actually your decision. This is beneficial for several reasons. First, you may be able to glean from their wisdom. Second, it lets your boss know that you value his opinion. Third, it keeps you humble.
Start with these three things, and eventually you will win over a very powerful ally. Not only that, but you will begin seeing a change in yourself as you move from being a driven individual to a real team player. In the process of leading up, you’ll be building yourself up to be a genuine leader one day.
RELATED POSTS:
- Who Can a Leader Trust?
- Conflict at the Workplace
- Why You Should Submit to Governing Authority (Part 1)
